The Lost
by CarteBlanche001
Summary: In which a young girl and a monster learn from one another.
1. Chapter 1

**December 1903**

A young girl coughed as she made her way through the streets of the bustling village. She passed by a young couple who gave her looks of disgust, but it did nothing to bother her. She had received looks like that for longer than she could remember. If it were not for her filthy and tattered clothes, then it was for the large scar on her right cheek, as well as the countless other reminders that she was nothing more than street trash.

Her stomach growled.

A police officer strolled down the street, and her eyes lit up with hope. Tugging on his coat, she offered him what was in the small box she carried with her. The man looked at it with irritation and shook his head once, shooing her away. The girl dropped her gaze and continued. So far, her day had been unsuccessful. No one would want such a poorly made doll, anyways. Not when fancy porcelain ones put hers, which had been constructed with fabric from an old potato sack, to shame.

It was getting late, and the sun had already set. Soon, the streets were empty of people, and she was left all alone with nothing but her box of old toys and an empty stomach. Tonight, she would go hungry. Turning back around, she began her trek back to the shelter she had found between a cobbler's shop and a bar. If she managed to get there fast enough, she would go undetected. But her desperation to sell something today had caused her to stay out later than expected, and in the end, she had sold nothing. Now, she had nowhere else to go, and her stomach was dangerously empty.

The local pub doors were wide open and cast a bright yellow light out onto the grey snow of the outside world. She could almost feel the warmth of the place from where she stood just a few feet away, peering inside. Drunken men that dwelled within the place during the latter hours of the evening were usually dangerous, but she could barely feel her fingertips. Just for one night, it might work in her favor to put caution to the wind for a moment of warmth and perhaps snatch a bite to eat from an unsuspecting customer.

Shaking her head, she turned away briefly until her stomach decided to growl again. _Thou shalt not steal_ , echoed in her mind, and she groaned. How long had it been since she had last eaten? How long had it been since she felt truly warm?

 _Father, please forgive me_ , she looked to the twinkling stars in the heavens above and grimaced. Was there any justification for sin? _What else can I do_? Her stomach twisted in knots. Coughing into her fist for a moment, she made up her mind.

No one had seen her slip in through the already opened doors, though she was quite afraid that someone would say something once she had been spotted. Three men were sitting in a table laughing like drugged hyenas, and at least five others were sitting at the bar, hunched over their drink. The laughing men had a rotten look about them, a dangerous look. She would have to steer clear of them. This bar was definitely not of the particularly high-end class.

One man was sitting at the edge of the room with nothing but a small glass of red wine, silently watching his surroundings. He looked the most misplaced out of all of them, having ducked into the shadowy portion of the bar without any candlelight and wearing such fancy noble clothes. His face was obscured by the darkness, though she could tell that his skin was rather pale, and his hair and clothing seemed dark in contrast. As she crept closer to an unconscious man at the bar who had a full loaf of sweet bread next to him, she noticed that she had captured that ominous man's attention. Freezing in place, she stared back at him nervously. He shifted backwards, then pointedly turned his head away.

Snatching the loaf away just as her "victim" fidgeted in his slumber, she crept out of the bar as quickly as she had entered. Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, she was glad that she had managed to make it out of there without any new bruises. She always had to be careful about approaching the right person.

The girl ducked down into one of the nearby alleyways and observed her finding. _Forgive me_ , she pleaded with God, before inhaling deeply. Her mouth began to water as she began to dig in, grateful to finally have something to fill her stomach.

As she munched on her bread, she pulled her old blanket out from her crate behind a dumpster and bundled herself up in it, curling up in a spot that was mostly clear of snow. Her body heat began to rise slightly, and she sighed in relief as the bread began to fill her with contentedness. Although it was not necessarily what one would call "warm" it would do for the time being.

But just when she was about to finish off the loaf, the group of laughing hyenas made their way down the alleyway. She tried to get out of her blanket fast enough to duck behind her dumpster, but it was far too late.

"'Ey! Look a' this li'l tot 'ere!"

Her eyes widened and she backed up, grasping her toy box tightly to her chest as the group of men started heading towards her, blocking off her exit. She dropped the loaf of bread that had been in her hands and backed up further as they drew nearer.

One of the men paused and scooped up the bite. He examined it carefully for a few moments before laughing loudly. "Where'd ye get this, li'l dove? Why're ye lookin' so guilty?"

"I'd say she _stole_ it," another chimed in.

Tears spilled down her cheeks as one of the men grabbed her by her tangled locks. "P-Please," she begged, squeezing her eyes shut as his hand went back. But there would be no stopping him; not this time, just like all the others. "I-I just wanted something to eat…"

"Look a' her ugly face!" the man guffawed, pointing to her scar.

"A bloody freak's what she is!"

"Serves her right! Filthy street rat, stealin' a good man's dinner just 'cause she's fancyin' a bite!"

"'S what I'm always telling you, lads," the first man proclaimed, grabbing her roughly by the hair in his greasy hand and pulling up sharply. Tears sprang to her eyes as his pungent breath wafted into her face. She looked into his glassy eyes and the full reality of her situation hit her: she might actually die this time. "Women are scum."

She was thrown, like a ragdoll, to the ground. A harsh kick to her gut had her wheezing for air. Tears did spill from her cheeks this time, but she did not cry out for help. Help never came any of the other times. This proved to be true as another kick thudded into to her back and yet another one came to her eye. The men's heavy, booted feet thudded dully against her body, though the pain seemed to explode through her with every blow.

And then, suddenly, the kicking stopped. She opened her one good eye just a crack. Though her vision was hazy and unfocused, she could just make out the dark figure standing just a few paces away, and the blood dribbling in front of a pair of black boots. A strange sound came from far above her head; it was like something was snapping and popping out of place, but being torn apart at the same time. The other two men, who were frozen behind her limp form, let out gasps.

There was a loud _crack_ as something collided with the brick wall of the nearby store. A second, quieter _thud_ followed suit.

"MONSTER!" one man screeched.

A low, guttural, inhuman growl was the response. The boots crunched in the dark snow as they came towards her. The girl prepared herself to be stepped on, but only the tip of a cape lightly brushed her shoulder. She heard one man scrambling backwards and shrieking, only for his cries of anguish to be replaced by choked gargling. The third man she did not hear at all. She did, however, hear several small thumps hitting the nearby snow.

As a dark silence pervaded the alley, the girl shut her eyes and focused on looking about as dead as she could manage, holding her breath as she waited for the monster to either believe her façade, or to kill her. The last thing she wanted was to draw attention for herself. But time ticked on, and her lungs were burning from the lack of oxygen, the cold, and having just been kicked there several times. Seconds later, she had no choice but to wheeze out and cough to breathe, opening her eyes to find that the monster had knelt beside her. She almost wanted to close her eyes again, this time certain that she would not awake. But, she found she could not look away; especially with his eerie red eyes drilling into her.

He reached out, and she could only watch with dread as a (somehow) clean, pale hand drew near her face and brushed along the blooming welts on her eye, cheeks, and jaw. The hand left again, and she saw him remove his cape. He reached under her and carefully sat her upright, making her wince in pain, before wrapping the thick fabric around her.

She blinked wearily up at him. "You're…" she wheezed, then coughed a few times. A few droplets of blood dribbled onto her cheeks when she did. "You're that man… from the pub… aren't you?"

The monster brushed the blood away. "Yes," he said.

"You're not human."

Slowly, he wrapped another arm under her legs and lifted her into the air. Her head hit his shoulder limply, and her eyelids fluttered shut. The last thing that she saw before drifting off to sleep were the sharp teeth in the mouth that said: "No. I'm not."

 **A/N: This was a story idea that snuck upon me when I watched "The Little Matchgirl" by Disney (though I understand it is based on the Danish short story by Hans Christian Andersen, I didn't read that). It currently has about 26,000+ words on it, so there will be periodic updates every Sunday until the latest chapter is posted.**

 **About the fic:**

 **-It's intended to be a combination of the character of Dracula with Hellsing's version of Alucard, as the plotline progresses towards canon. You'll see Millennium develop a little from Dracula/Alucard's perspective.**

 **-I'm drawing from Hellsing Ultimate/the Hellsing manga. The television anime show was, in my opinion, very "eh".**

 **-Dracula/Alucard does not fall in ROMANTIC love with the girl he's fostering. Platonically, however...**

 **-I've taken many liberties with the storyline in both versions. And, hell, the character, too. But hey, it's fanfiction, and I'm writing this purely for fun. I will be getting as close to fluff as possible here without stepping over the "this is a vampire who kills and eats people" line. May tap-dance on the line a little, not going to lie. He won't be turned into Ned Flanders, though.**

 **-You're picturing that now, aren't you?**

 **-"Howdily doodily, neighboreeno?"**


	2. Chapter 2

When the girl awoke again, she noticed that for the first time since she had turned five years old, she was completely warm. From head to toe, nothing was below normal body temperature. Her ears were delightfully warm; her toes she could wiggle with ease; even her nose could inhale the scent of furniture without the bitter wind nipping at it. Her eyes slowly blinked open, and it took her a moment to comprehend that what she was looking at was a roaring fire in a hearth. She was completely wrapped up in a neat bundle of different blankets, each incredibly soft and luxurious. "I must be dead," she whispered in shock as she sat up on her elbows to look about the room in which she had awoken.

The next thing she noticed was that she was not alone. That same monster, whom she had just had the most terrible nightmare about, had just walked into the room carrying a bowl of hot water and a few white rags. She froze, sheer mortal terror overcoming her senses. He met her gaze with his own, and pure ice raced through her veins upon noticing his pallid skin and unnaturally red eyes. "Not yet," he replied, somewhat amused.

The monster walked to her side and the girl flinched, holding up her hands to brace herself. "Please don't eat me. I'm scrawny and f-filthy and I don't think I would taste very good."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why would I be interested in eating you _now_ , if I wasn't earlier?"

She inched away backwards. "B-Because I'm awake now?"

He let out a short huff and shook his head. "If it's eagerness to see bloodshed that's kept me from attacking you, I don't think I would have gone through all this trouble to get you here. Now hold still." The demon reached out to her with the rag in his hand that had been fully submerged in the warm water, but the quick movement caused the girl to squeak with fear and hide underneath her covers, trembling and praying that this was all just a part of a terrible nightmare. Everything was quiet in the room, though she could see the shadow of his form moving and stretching over the blanket. Finally, it was yanked from under her arms, exposing her once again. "I know that most children think that hiding under the covers somehow prevents a monster from attacking," he said. "But the fact is, there isn't a blanket in the world strong enough to fight a real monster off."

She blinked once in surprise when nothing followed that, but the growing sense that he might have other things in mind quickly squashed any hope she might have had. People did not do things out of the kindness of their hearts, much less monsters. The rag came into her view again. "Let me see," he commanded, and she could not find the courage to dare disobey.

The girl squeezed her eyes shut tightly when he moved towards her again. When all he did was dab lightly at the fresh wound, she opened one large blue eye in confusion. Nothing painful followed that, save for the light sting of the injury being cleaned, and she was so incredibly surprised by the gesture that she cracked open the other eye. "Just how old are you, exactly?" he asked mildly. "You seem awfully young to be living all by yourself."

"Five," she answered. This seemed to take him by surprise. The girl suddenly felt a harsh tickling in her throat, and she tried as hard as she could to suppress the cough that was building up until she was nearly red in the face. He gave her a strange look. She managed to stifle it, but only for a few seconds. Jerking away from him as quickly as she could, she placed her hands over her mouth and succumbed to a violent fit of coughing that that left her trembling by the end of it.

A cool hand was suddenly pressed onto her forehead. The monster (Really, what else could she call him? Certainly, he was not a man) drew his eyebrows together, apparently displeased with her temperature. "I've contacted a doctor who should arrive by tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, we must be careful about your condition."

A doctor? He had contacted a doctor for her sake? Why on earth would something like him do that? She did not have the time (or the courage) to ask him that before he spoke again. "You have quite a few older wounds. Tell me- where did they come from?" Just as she opened her mouth to reply, he held up one finger. "Don't bother lying to me. I know you didn't fall."

She shut her mouth again and frowned, looking down. She was silent for a long moment, and when she did decide to speak, her tone was far too subdued. "People just don't like me."

He did not say anything more after that, and instead focused on bandaging her wounds. During the long pause of tense silence in their conversation, the wood in the fire decided just then to crack, making the girl nearly jump right off the couch from the sudden and unexpected noise, jolting away from the monster, who stared at her for the duration of an even tenser silence. He seemed to be mulling something over in his head; a considering look had come over his features. "Why don't we make a deal?"

The girl jolted in alarm and shook her head violently back and forth, edging even farther back on the couch. Although she never said a word, it did not take a genius to know what she had been thinking. "Not _that_ kind of deal," he scoffed. "I don't want your soul."

Though she had a look of doubtfulness, she also had a glimmer of curiosity in those bright blue eyes. "What deal?"

"I ask you questions, and you answer me truthfully. In exchange, you may ask me questions, and _I_ will answer truthfully as well."

"But… But what if you lie?"

"Then that is a risk you take, just as I risk you lying to me," he answered. "For this deal to work out for both of us, I suppose that means we must tell the truth."

It seemed she wanted to say something in rebuttal, but ended up without a decent enough argument. So, she bit her lip and nodded shyly. "Okay."

"Do you know where your parents are?"

She looked down. "I don't know where Mum is. Daddy used to tell me she went to Heaven. I think he's with her right now, too. I haven't seen him since…" she squeezed her eyes shut. "I haven't seen him in a long time."

When she looked up again, she was startled to find a very different look on his face, one that was not ugly at all. "Your turn," he told her, in a slightly softer voice.

After thinking about it for a moment or so, she decided on a non-intrusive question. "Um… what's your name? I-I'm Alice."

"Dracula. You have a very pretty name," he complimented her, with a smile that never really did touch his eyes. "Almost reminds me of the story by Lewis Carrol of the girl who fell into Wonderland. Certainly, you've heard of it?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I haven't. Or… maybe I have, but I can't remember."

Dracula lost some of his false smile. "That simply won't do. After being in England for only a few years, I nearly know it by heart. How long have you been on your own?"

"Since it was warm outside," she answered shyly. Months. The little girl had been in poverty, living on the streets, scavenging for food and taking beatings from strangers for _months_. Fear permeated the air again, drawing him from his musings. She wore a suddenly nervous expression and fell silent. His guess was that she was now thinking of what would happen next: whether she would be able to return to the outside world again, or if he had other plans for her.

He left the spot where he had been kneeling next to her and picked up the bowls of dirty water, as well as the rest of the bandages that were no longer necessary. Alice watched him warily as he started walking towards the door once again. He paused just before he left the room and gave her knowing look. "If you wish, you may leave."

"Huh?" Alice gasped.

Dracula raised one eyebrow. "You're not a prisoner here. Although personally, I would prefer if you stayed. There are plenty of rooms at this castle that are currently untenanted, and it gets a bit boring around here without the pleasure of good company. And in your case, it is especially dangerous to leave amid such a cold winter night while wounded. I wasn't expecting to bring in any guests, but I do play a very good host when necessary. I'll leave you to consider it."

And with that, he left the room. Alice stared at the large room that she had been placed in. There were books that did not have a single speck of dust on them lining the large walls, and torches that lined the spaces where the shelves ended. The carpet beneath her feet was a soft and golden, and the furniture she was reclining on was plush and comfortable. The blankets around her were soothing, and the fire made the room smell not only delightful, but also added to this foreign warmth that before now was almost unheard of. The entire space spoke of nothing but luxury.

But then, this was the home of a monster. She had seen glimpses of what he was capable of doing. But at the same time… he had also brought her to this place. He hadn't committed an act of violence against her, but there was also a possibility that he had saved her for ulterior motivations.

But what if he had not? He had claimed that he was not interested in her soul, and he had every opportunity to attack her, but he did not. So, what _was_ he interested in? Surely there would be a price for his hospitality. No man, woman, or child had shown her anything but contempt since she became a beggar, save for the occasional pocket change and spare glances thrown her way. Why had he bothered to save her from the men who beat her? She _had_ stolen, and had been given punishment. So why should she be saved when she didn't deserve it?

The window by the front door was drawn, and fields beyond his castle were blanketed in thick snow. She had only just regained feeling in her fingers, toes, and ears; and her illness made her feel sluggish and unwilling to move from her spot. In fact, she was feeling rather drowsy now. But she had to stay awake- the strange monster would be back soon. She had to find out for herself just who precisely he was, and what he planned on doing. So, for the moment… perhaps staying indoors at least until the snow melted was not such a bad idea.

Just as she had finished making this conclusion, Dracula returned to the room once more. He gave her a nod of approval. "Good decision."

She flinched when he extended a hand to her. That same look came back to his face when she did; the softening of his features and the sadness in his eyes. "Come on, get up. You need proper bedrest, and although sitting in front of a fire warmed you up, you should retire somewhere more comfortable for the night."

Hesitantly, Alice placed her small hand in his and slowly got up from the sofa. When she put the slightest weight on him, she was both amazed and frightened by the fact that he did not give in whatsoever, as if his limbs were made of iron. With any normal human, she knew there would at least be some strain, even for a bulkier man, but his flesh was cold and unyielding, like metal. He guided her out of the room and every time they were about to enter a new hallway, he opened the door for her and allowed her to enter first, something that no one had ever done for her. She had seen gentlemen hold many doors open for proper ladies before, but never had the courtesy been given to her. She made sure to thank him each time he did, and every time that same frown grew just a little more, though he never said a word.

He led her through several hallways filled with many old and expensive-looking artifacts from the past, many of which appeared to be something from a foreign land near mountainous terrain, per the many landscape paintings that decorated many of the halls. Finally, they happened upon a large doorway, and Dracula grinned in triumph. "Perfect. This is my best guest room. I've never had a visitor so little before, but I suppose you can adapt."

The door glided open, and Alice let out a soft gasp of complete awe at the sight of such a beautiful room. There was a bed, bigger than any bed she had ever seen before, sitting just beneath a large golden chandelier. Designs were all over the floor, walls, and ceilings, and gorgeous paintings of landscapes and castles decorated the walls. She ran into the room and gaped in awe at everything in sight, briefly forgetting all about her sickness and how terrified she had been earlier. "Thank you," she breathed as she stepped forward to get a better look at the room.

He nodded. "Of course. Now, down the hall, there is a bathroom with a tub that I have already filled. Clean up before you go to bed."

She suddenly looked nervous as he turned away. "Um… Sir?" she whispered, just barely loud enough for him to hear. But he did, and he calmly gave her his attention once again. Alice fiddled with her ratty dress. "I… I don't have a change of clothes. Um… I wouldn't want to be rude, but..." and here she promptly lost confidence. The red eyes were just a bit too intimidating to ask anything of them. "Um, never mind. Thank you," she stammered when he said nothing, already deciding that she would rather sleep on the floor than get the nice bed dirty from her street clothes.

He blinked. "Oh. That would be a problem, wouldn't it?" he seemed to consider her for a moment, looking quite thoughtful as he did so. "Again, I don't ever have guests like you, so any of the spare clothing items that I do keep around would be oversized. But there may be nightgown you can use."

He brushed past her and entered the room, then headed towards the dark walk-in closet. The act surprised her, because she would have needed a candle to find anything within its shadowy recesses. But it seemed that he could see perfectly well in complete darkness, for soon he reentered the room holding a large, slim nightgown with long sleeves and a button up collar. Kneeling, he held it up against her to measure how well it would fit, and chuckled to himself. "It will drag on the floor, and you will have to roll up the sleeves, but we'll have to do with this until we find suitable clothes. I hope you don't mind, but I'm throwing the clothes you have on now away after you change." At her anxious look he made a sweeping motion with his hand. "You'll get replacements, don't you worry."

 _Whose were these?_ Alice wondered as she stared down at the soft white gown. Dracula stood from where he had knelt. "If you need anything, call out to me. And don't go wandering, either. The castle is large enough to get lost in, and in your condition, I would prefer that you move as little as possible. I will wake you when the sun rises."

She nodded furiously, and he seemed to smile slightly, though it wasn't as sharp as she thought it would be.

 **A/N: A big thank you to my reviewers! Your kind words made me smile. I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter!**


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